By Tatenda Mujeyi
The Churches and Civiil Society Forum (CSCJF) has lambasted some political parties for their quest to cause destabilisation through demonstrations, a press conference held at Chop Chop in Harare today revealed.
CSCJF noted with concern the economic challenges that Zimbabwe is experiencing at the moment.
“As CSCJF we are disturbed and indeed appalled by the increasing economic, social and political tension that is prevailing in the country, which in turn, creates so much negative energies, anxieties, a sense of hopelessness, uncertainty, panic and despondency,” Reverend Anglistone Sibanda of the CSCJF said.
CSCJF reflected on how the inflation had further marginalised the poor as well as facilitated for human rights abuses.
“We are perturbed by the runaway inflation that is rendering all our efforts to survive useless and relegating the ordinary hard working and resilient Zimbabweans into the extreme margins of poverty whose effects are not only devastating but are also dehumanising, and in violation of our human rights in a country that is signatory to the UN Charter and several UN conventions and protocols.” The CSCJF Chairperson also said
CSCJF bemoaned the power struggles by political parties that is causing the inflation as well as fuelling the ideas to demonstrate.
“We watch with disdain as the rights of citizens are being taken away by those competing for state power and we are convinced that the level of polarisation and rising on the political arena, where politicians are moved by greed and selfish ambition more than the need to represent us,” Reverend Sibanda said.
CSCJF revoked the engagements by political parties, civil society and diaspora initiatives to push for sabotage of government programmes.
“We are aware that civil society in connivance with various actors in diplomatic, civic and business sectors as well as some ill-informed Diaspora based Zimbabweans to execute economic sabotage activities,” the CSCJF Chairperson further said.
CSCJF’s nation-wide existence and registration base has allowed them to successfully monitor the growth of the despondency nationwide.
“As churches we have members and structures in every community all over the country and we are noting the shenanigans that include the manipulation of some innocent and poor young people, women, church leaders through the use of money to mobilise citizens into the so called civic action that will be used to “corner the regime and put it into a dilemma.’
CSCJF noted the threats as unconstitutional means “to legally effect regime change through unconstitutional means and we remind them that time to change a regime is coming in 2o23 according to our constitution,” Reverand Sibanda added.
The press conference follows threats by the opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa to demonstrate against the economic decline that has been experienced since the second republic’s inception.
